The last two weeks we’ve been cruising European rivers from Budapest to Amsterdam.We’ve been through Hungary, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands and a bit of Slovakia.We were sailing on the Skadi, one of the Viking River Cruises’ long ships (they are long – 442 feet).Our cruise started on the Danube, then to the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal which took us to the Main River and onto the Rhine.

Along the way we stopped in Vienna, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Cologne, Amsterdam and many more.We also had tours of Salzburg and Munich which we took bus rides to from our ports.In most ports we had a guided tour of the city, castle, monastery, old building, or other interesting things.

We took tons of pictures, made notes, collected maps and books along with a few things from the gift shops.

And today we’re exhausted.We kept very busy with tours and yesterday was a very long flight day as we flew from Amsterdam to Frankfurt to San Francisco.Jet lag is starting to kick in as I’ve fallen asleep twice while trying to write this post.

This morning was very busy as Heather discovered our washing machine was leaking – a lot – and we had to take all the laundry to the local Laundromat to get 16 days of dirty clothes washed.Then there was a little grocery shopping and picking up kitties from the Kitty Hotel (seriously, we board our cats at a place called, The Kitty Hotel).The kitties are currently a bit upset about being left for 16 days and are taking every chance to let us know it.

I’ll be writing more about the trip in the coming weeks and will share more pictures as I catchup on sleep.Before I go crash somewhere I’d like to share a couple of interesting ‘facts’ our waiter explained to us:

You don’t get fat on a cruise – the tables expand while you eat, which explains why your chair gets stuck between the table and the wall while trying to leave the table after a meal.

Food has no calories on the ship, however the calories will chase after you when you leave the ship.

If you’re an American, they don’t put the tea bags in your pot of hot water.You have to do that yourself.However, if your British, the waiters will put the tea bag in for you.

Next week I’ll share more about our trip and more interesting things I learned.

Now, since the chefs and waiters didn’t come home with us, I am off to make our Sunday pizza.

Till next week,

Andrew

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About Andrew Reynolds

Born in California
Did the school thing studying electronics, computers, release engineering and literary criticism.
I work in the high tech world doing software release engineering
Then I got prostate cancer
Now I am a blogger and work in my wood shop doing scroll saw work and marquetry.

39 Responses to Back Home

Interesting thing, earlier today someone was telling my husband and I that if we should ever take a cruise, do a Viking River Cruise. They said hands down, it was the best cruise they’ve ever taken, and they’ve been on plenty.

We’re thinking of a Viking tour to Portugal, so I want to hear about your reviews of the company. For example,do they add more butter and cream to their meals to help the tables get closer to the wall?

The company is great. We didn’t have any issues with them and their service is outstanding. And yes, they use plenty of butter, cream, sugar, and all the good stuff. If this sits on the table too long, the tables eat it and expand. You need to eat fast so the table doesn’t get it.